Gaming Guru

Jack Ury continues historic run

LAS VEGAS -- Jack Ury's remarkable run in the Main Event continued on Saturday as the oldest participant in WSOP history made it through Day 2A with 8,200 in chips.

The 97-year-old from Terre Haute, Ind. naturally needed some assistance during play, and everyone at his tables obliged. Players helped Ury with his blinds and antes, and his grandson was behind him to help stack his chips if he won a pot.

Other players helped by announcing raises to Ury (his hearing isn't so good) and by telling him what was on the board if he was still in a hand (neither is his sight).

Jack Ury is still alive in the WSOP 2010 Main Event. (photo by Dan Igo)

Ury attracted a lot of media attention during the day. When told by his grandson that someone from the WSOP wanted to take his picture, Ury was sharp in his reply.

"You can't take a picture of a guy who ain't doing no good," he said.

"You're doing better than the thousands of players who already got knocked out," another player replied.

A few hands later Ury raised 5,000 in a heads-up battle against a player roughly 70 years his junior. The player folded and Ury took down the pot.

"I finally won a hand!" he said.

The photographer returned to take a picture of Ury making his score.

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The always entertaining Layne Flack drew plenty of fans (and TV cameras) shortly after the dinner break when he put his tournament life on the line.

Flack was especially animated at the table and a crowd of about 30 fans ate it up. Flack, sitting on roughly 13,000 in chips, called a 2,000 raise preflop.

"Let's get busy," he said.

The flop showed three hearts on the board, and his opponent placed another bet. Flack looked confused for a bit, and started asking his Irish opponent some questions. The Irishman just looked at the table with a slight grin on his face.

"Look at me when I talk to you," Flack said jokingly.

Flack called, and the turn read was a three. The Irish player bet 5,000 and Flack was once again flabbergasted.

"God, you keep milking me," he said. "I don't think you have s---."

The river was a queen, and his opponent now bet 10,000, which put Flack all-in if he made the call. He finally did, and the Irishman flipped two hearts for the flush.

Flack shook everyone's hand as he exited the Pavilion with a smile.

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The oversized bracelet that gave Jason Mercier trouble on Saturday. (photo by Dan Igo)

The World Series of Poker Main Event is a multi-day grind, and the last thing you need is an outside distraction affecting your concentration.

But that's the situation in which PokerStars pro Jason Mercier found himself in the Pavilion during Day 2B. Every time Mercier looked up from his stack, a light from the Main Stage was being reflected into his eyes off of a giant replica WSOP bracelet. Mercier called an official over and explained the situation. The official then called another official to come by the table.

"We got the same problem at (table) 72 again," he said.

When the second official arrived he moved the table around so there was a space between Mercier and the player on his left where the light wouldn't hit anyone.

Mercier seemed satisfied with the solution and continued his strong play all day, finishing with 186,300 chips.

----------------------------------------------Canadian Phil Dwek drew a sizable crowd at his table in the Pavilion, but it had nothing to do with his poker play.

Batman was back on Day 2A. (photo by Vin Narayanan)

In fact, few people at the World Series knew who Dwek was before the tournament and most won't know who he is afterwards. Everyone will know him simply as Batman.

As he did on Day 1B, Dwek showed up to the WSOP dressed in a Batman costume, complete with a cape, pointed ears and padded six-pack.

Dwek said after Day 1B that he had bought the costume in Vegas when he came out for the Main Event. He even drew some TV time on Tuesday on the ESPN featured table.

The "caped crusader" was alive after the dinner break but severely short-stacked with fewer than 15,000 in chips.

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David Alan Grier was the only notable actor who competed (albeit briefly) on Day 2A, but there were a number of Hollywood types competing on Day 2B.

Jason Alexander made it to the dinner break with 44,000 in chips, up from the 37,825 he had at the beginning of play. Unlike Day 1D, Alexander did not begin play by getting a massage.

Hank Azaria piled up chips during the day and finished with 110,000 when play ended.

A couple actresses did not fare as well. Carbon Poker spokeswoman Shannon Elizabeth was eliminated early in the day and former Real World personality Trishelle Cannatella (sporting an Absolute Poker logo) busted out before the dinner break.

And former baseball great Orel Hershiser was eliminated during Level 7.

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The two TV tables on Day 2B featured some big names as usual, but lacked the spectator support from the previous five days.

The main TV table was headlined by Dan Harrington and Jeff Shulman, who were seated next to each other. The secondary TV table saw Phil Laak occupy Seat 9.

However, there was no problem lining up on the rail to see Laak in action, and there were plenty of good seats still available at the main TV table area.

In fact, more spectators seemed to be watching Vanessa Rousso, whose table was on the rail in the Amazon Room, than were watching Laak.

Yesterday there were dozens of fans watching Daniel Negreanu at the main TV table, and there was usually a healthy amount watching Patrik Antonius at the secondary table.

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